TEHRAN: Iran says it is ready for another war but still wants to keep talking. US President Donald Trump says he expects more talks with Iran this week.
The US has rejected Iran’s plan for a seven-day pause in fighting linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Iran is open to talks but will defend itself if attacked. He said he and President Masoud Pezeshkian went to New York to seek peace, not war. Araghchi said Iran is ready for serious talks, but will not back down even in a very severe war.
Oil prices and government bond yields rose on Monday after Trump rejected Iran’s offer. This raised concerns that inflation could increase. Stock markets had mixed results as investors waited for important US economic reports.
Iran presented its plan at the United Nations last week. It called for a pause in the fighting and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Reopening the strait could help ease a major disruption to global supplies and reduce rising costs.
The Strait of Hormuz is an important route for the world’s energy supplies. It is now a key part of the conflict between the US and Iran. The Houthis have also taken control of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another important shipping route.
Trump told reporters outside the White House, “I reject their proposal.”
But he told Axios that he expects talks to start again. “They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make,” he said. He added that the US might have accepted such a deal a year ago.
“They overplayed their hand,” Trump said.
Axios, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that indirect talks between the US and Iran could happen as soon as Monday.
Reported By: Our Correspondent I Tehran, Iran
